Part of the Family
by GrimlyMystical
Summary: The Autobots are on vacation but will it last? Optimus Prime is still in space searching for who put a bounty on him. Hound, Drift, Crosshairs and Bumblebee are still guarding the Yeager family. What they don't know? Galvatron managed to escape and is quietly building his army. When will he make his first move?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Well, this is my new story. I have been a part of Fanfiction forever but I haven't written anything in a long time. There's really no good excuse for that but I'm back to it now. I do believe I'm a little rusty so forgive me if this first chapter is horrible. I am open to critics and advice. I'm sure there are things I need to relearn and new things to learn as well. Anyways. This story is set after the movie Transformers Age of Extinction. I normally prefer the 1984 Transformers but I decided to stick with only a few Autobots to write until I get better. One more thing. I changed Michael Bay's Hound to the original '84 Hound who was a Jeep. I apologize if that upsets anyone but I just couldn't write Hound without it being... well, Hound.

* * *

A Katy Perry song blasted from the speakers of the dark green Jeep as it drove down the road to the Yeager home. Tessa and her friend from college, Alisa, sang along and laughed happily. Hound wasn't used to driving humans around but it didn't bother him. Bumblebee usually did it but he had left to visit an old friend. So, Hound volunteered to help when Tessa's boyfriend couldn't pick her up.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay with you, Tessa."

"Anytime." Tessa patted Alisa's arm. "I can't believe your pipes burst. Is all your stuff ruined?"

"Thankfully, it isn't. Most of my art had been stored safely. I just had to rent a storage unit until things are fixed."

"Well, you can stay as long as you want. I know Dad won't mind." Tessa hopped out of Hound's cab followed by Alisa on the other side. Hound stayed in vehicle mode as the girls went inside. He and Tessa had decided to introduce Alisa to the Autobots in the morning when the others came back. The world still knew about the Transformers but they were no longer hunted down. The Autobots were able to guard the Yeager family in peace.

Crosshairs usually avoided humans because he still had a hard time trusting them. Hound and Bumblebee interacted with the humans the most. Even in their alternate modes, people would recognize them. Sometimes they would transform in front of them. Most humans were in awe of the Autobots and wanted to learn more. Especially children. Kids loved Bumblebee and would often use him as a jungle gym. Drift got along with almost everyone but usually kept to himself.

With Optimus still in space and no more war, the Autobots weren't sure what to do now. So, they just kept an optic on the Yeagers and would go on road trips to explore the world. Every month a government official would check up on them to make sure they were behaving. Other than that, they were left to live their lives. Hound settled down for recharge and hoped that Alisa would not be afraid of them.

* * *

The next morning, the girls were finishing up their breakfast when they heard a commotion outside. Tessa rolled her eyes when she recognized the voices of Crosshairs and Drift. Sometimes those two were like an old married couple. She turned to Alisa with a smile, "Ready to meet my friends?"

Alisa ran a hand through her black hair to make sure it wasn't too messy and nodded. Tessa had revealed to her recently that she was friends with Transformers. But Alisa hadn't been able to meet them until now. They were still wary about humans. Alisa understood after Tessa had told her about their past. About the government hunting them down and using them for their metal.

Once Alisa stepped outside, she had to shield her eyes from the bright morning sunshine. The arguing immediately stopped and three sets of optics landed on her. She shifted, a little nervous now, and waved, "Hello."

Crosshairs eyed her warily and did not respond. Drift bowed as he introduced himself. Alisa greeted him. Drift seemed to be nice. Hound knelt down in front of her to make her feel more comfortable. "Hello, Alisa. My designation is Hound."

Tessa's phone rang so she excused herself. Alisa gave Hound a smile. "Nice to meet you, Hound."

Tessa came back. "Sorry about that. It was Shane."

"Are you two going out?"

Tessa shook her head, "I wouldn't be a good host if I left you here."

"I'll just bug Hound while you are gone," grinned Alisa making Hound chuckle.

"And if she needs to go anywhere, I will take her." Tessa studied them for a moment then nodded. She laughed when Alisa nudged her inside so she could get ready for Shane and was quick to head upstairs. Alisa came back out with her sketchbook.

"May I draw you, Hound?"

"Um, yes?" Did he need to pose? No one had ever asked to draw him. "What do I do?"

Alisa settled down in one of the wicker chairs on the porch. "Just relax. We can talk if you want. No need to stay still."

Hound nodded and sat down as well. They spent the next few hours talking as Alisa drew. She liked Hound and felt like they could become good friends. After adding a few finishing touches to her sketch, Alisa let Hound see it.

"That is amazing, Alisa," rumbled Hound. He was about to say something else when her phone started to ring. She looked at it, sighed and silenced it. "Who is Zac?"

Hound was hovering right above her so he must have seen the caller I.D.. "Zac is my boyfriend."

Then why did she not answer the phone? Hound wondered to himself. He did a quick internet search for the term 'boyfriend'. So, this Zac is something like a sparkmate. They just haven't bonded yet. "Is everything okay?"

Alisa's expression turned guilty. "Yeah. He's just been really clingy lately and I'm not used to it."

"You should talk to him, Alisa."

"You're right." Alisa gave Hound a smile, thanked him and hurried inside to make the call. Hound watched her go with a smile forming on his faceplates. It was nice to make a new friend. He had forgotten how lonely he was after the war ended. Briefly, he wondered if there were any other Autobots alive out there. Maybe Optimus would be able to find the others. One could only hope.

* * *

Alisa stood outside the restaurant, fuming. She had called Hound earlier and asked him to pick her up. Said Autobot had just arrived. He parked in front of her and opened his passenger door. Alisa was about to get in but someone called her name. Zac came over to stop her from leaving.

"I'm sorry, Alisa. I didn't know it was going to be that much."

Alisa rolled her eyes. Every time they went out, Alisa ended up paying. Zac never seemed able to hold a job. "It's a nice restaurant that you picked out. Did you seriously expect it to be cheap?"

"Well...," Zac then noticed the Jeep she was standing beside. "Wait. You don't have a car."

Alisa pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look. I'm too mad to talk to you right now. I'll call you sometime."

Once she got in, Hound drove away. Alisa knew she shouldn't have run away but she just couldn't deal with him right now. She stayed silent so Hound turned on the music. He decided to keep driving, hoping she would relax and talk to him. The Autobot had only known her for a few days but he had already grown attached to her. Hound turned down a dirt road, heading no where in particular. The mech scanned her to make sure there were no injuries. He was starting to get worried.

"Thanks for coming to get me." Finally. Hound was about to explode with questions.

"Anytime," rumbled Hound. His voice came through the speakers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Alisa rubbed her face. The young woman was exhausted. She didn't feel like talking but she knew it would make her feel better. "Zac finally takes me out on a nice date and then he doesn't pay the bill. I have barely any money left until payday."

"I'm sure Tessa and Cade will help you and I will drive you anywhere."

"You're the best, Hound." Alisa rubbed the armrest and smiled when Hound hummed happily. "Does that feel good?"

"Yes. It feels like a massage."

She continued to rub the armrest then asked, "Can you feel me sitting here?"

"Yes. It was odd at first but I'm used to it now." Hound thought for a moment. "It's almost like you are sitting on my shoulder."

* * *

The next day, Alisa had no classes so she decided to watch a movie with Drift. They had picked out a Bruce Lee movie. She ended up sitting in his cab watching the movie as he projected it onto his windshield. When the movie ended, she got out so he could transform. Drift had a big smile on his face.

"I like this Bruce Lee. He is a skilled warrior." He set his gaze on Alisa. "We must watch his other movies."

Alisa laughed and patted his leg. "How about we watch one every week?"

Drift agreed then turned toward the barn when they heard Cade yell out. Alisa glanced at Drift then headed to the barn to investigate. Hound and Cade had been in the barn all day. What they were working on? Alisa had tried to get Hound to tell her but he would only say it was a surprise.

She could see Cade and Hound hunched over a table. Hound had a smile on his face. "I think it's going to work this time."

"What is going to work?" They both jumped, startled, and looked at her. She could see there was a small contraption on the table between them. Nothing had exploded so Cade must have yelled out in triumph. "Oh. What is that?"

"Well, it was my hologram projector." Hound picked it up and installed it while Cade explained what they had done to it. "If it works then my hologram that I use to blend in will actually be solid. It will become a holoform."

"This could be interesting." Drift had poked his head inside to watch the experiment. Hound transformed into his vehicle mode and they all waited impatiently. After a few moments a man appeared beside the Jeep. He was a few inches taller than Alisa. Hound's holoform had brown hair and his eyes were blue just like his optics. A plain white t-shirt and blue jeans clothed him. Hound lifted his hands to study them.

"This is... different." Poke. Alisa had prodded his arm in curiosity. He chuckled, "I'm solid, Alisa. And I can feel that."

"Really?" Hound nodded. Alisa wasn't sure about the holoform. She had gotten used to the Autobots by now. Seeing Hound as a human? She had to be honest that it was a little weird. "I think I prefer you as a giant robot."

Hound laughed as he deactivated the holoform and transformed. "Thanks, Alisa. I promise only to use it when necessary."


	2. Chapter 2

Alisa sat underneath a willow tree with her sketchbook. She was supposed to be studying but her mind kept wandering. The page she was on was full of doodles. One was a cartoon version of Drift fighting Bruce Lee. Another was of the barn where Cade made all of his inventions. That doodle was only half done. Alisa's mind had wandered again. A light breeze drifted through the branches of the tree. If not for that breeze it would be too hot for Alisa to sit outside. There was not a cloud in sight today letting the sun bear down on the Earth.

"Alisa?" Hound's holoform parted the branches so he could walk through. This time he was wearing a green, plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and worn out blue jeans. Light brown hiking boots completed the outfit. He settled down beside her. "You didn't answer your phone. Are you okay?"

Alisa nodded. "Yeah. How did you find me? I didn't tell anyone where I was going."

"I used your phone's location." Hound leaned over to look at her doodles. He couldn't help but be nosy. The mech loved to watch her draw.

"Stalker," teased Alisa. She didn't mind though. Being around the Autobots was always fun. Hound had become her best friend. Drift had taken it upon himself to use his holoform to teach her self-defense. He was like a protective older brother. The weapons specialist, Crosshairs, tolerated her now. He also enjoyed annoying her. Bumblebee was still visiting his friend so she hadn't met him yet.

"Alisa?" Hound was studying her face, watching her think. "Is something on your proc-, I mean, mind?"

"Zac got a job," sighed Alisa as she leaned back against the tree. Hound's concern turned to confusion so Alisa elaborated. "It is a good thing but he won't tell me where or who he works for. He just suddenly has a lot of money."

"That does seem suspicious," said Hound with a frown. He thought for a moment. "I remember Shane saying there is a gang in the town nearby. Maybe I should stay with you from now on."

"I'm usually around you or Drift so I should be okay." She poked his arm. "Have you guys heard from your boss yet?"

Hound sighed, "Unfortunately not. I hope he is okay."

Alisa put an arm around his shoulder for comfort. "I'm sure he is, Hound. From all of the stories I've heard about him, he sounds pretty bad ass."

"He is," chuckled Hound. All of the Autobots missed Prime and hoped he would come back soon. Hound and Alisa leaned against each other. A comfortable silence fell as they watched the branches sway in the wind and bird hop around on the ground.

* * *

Alisa was finishing her latest project in ceramics class. Just as she was putting it away, she heard a commotion outside. She grabbed her messenger bag that had splotches of paint covering it and went to investigate. When she opened the door she encountered a group of college students. They were standing a few feet away from Crosshairs. He had come to pick up Alisa. Tessa told him she was going on a date with Shane. Though he wasn't sure what they were going to do with fruit and he didn't want to know.

"Get off our planet, alien!"

Students were throwing food at Crosshairs. The green mech transformed, hoping that his height would scare them off. This was one of the reasons why he stayed away from humans. The Autobots saved their planet more time than they knew and this was the thanks they got? Crosshairs cursed at them in Cybertronian. They were getting annoying. He wasn't sure if his patience would last much longer.

"Alisa. Where are you, squishy?"

"I'm right here, Crosshairs." She pushed through the people and stood in front of him. "Who did you piss off?"

Crosshairs raised his hands in innocence. "It wasn't my fault this time."

"Look! Now it's trying to abduct one of us!"

Someone moved to grab Alisa's arm and pull her to safety but they were too slow. Crosshairs scooped Alisa up, transformed back into his vehicle mode and sped away. The young woman was quick to buckle up. Alisa should have known paranoid people would come after the 'bots sooner or later. She felt it was her fault because they kept picking her up.

"Fragging crazy humans."

"I'm sorry, Crosshairs. You guys don't deserve to be treated like that."

"Not your fault," grumbled Crosshairs as he pulled up to the Yeager home. He wasn't mad at her. He had wanted to squish those other humans though. They were annoying and could have hurt Alisa. Crosshairs continued grumbling as he transformed and went to wash himself off. Alisa walked over to Hound and Drift, who greeted her. She knew Crosshairs would need time to himself. She would make it up to him later.

"So, who wants to help me move back into my apartment?"

* * *

The next day, Alisa was walking to her art history class when she saw a poster taped to the wall. On it was a picture of her and Crosshairs from yesterday. Below it were the words, 'Alisa Peterson: Betrayer of humanity. Alien robot lover'. Anger flared in Alisa and she crumpled up the poster. People were so closed-minded. The Autobots were good. Just because they didn't look like humans, people hated them. She continued walking only to see a hundred more posters. They were all over campus. As much as she wanted to rip them all down, she didn't. Alisa wouldn't give them the satisfaction. She knew who the Autobots were. They were her family now.

Somehow, she continued through her day. Trying to make it as normal as possible. It didn't help that everyone looked at her differently now. Even the professors. A few immature guys had asked her if she was even able to sleep with a giant robot. It took everything she had not to punch them and just walk away. The way everyone treated her now hurt and she couldn't wait to get home. She was thankful her last class ended quickly. With a sigh of relief, Alisa got in Hound's cab and finally relaxed. Hound noticed immediately that something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"I have betrayed humanity," Alisa replied in a nonchalant tone. Hound was filled with confusion. How had Alisa betrayed her own kind? "It's because a group of paranoid college kids saw me with Crosshairs yesterday. All they had to do was mind their own business."

Alisa got out of his cab when they reached her apartment building. He activated his holoform so he could follow her. "I'm so sorry, Alisa."

The young woman shook her head and unlock her door. "It's not your fault, Hound. Some people just... Well, let's just say they deserve to be punched in the face."

Hound hesitated walking into her apartment. "If you want, we could leave you alone." It wounded him to say it but the mech didn't want to cause Alisa pain.

"How could you say that?" Immediately, Hound regretted what he had said. He could see the hurt in her eyes. "You guys are my family now. You're my best friend."

Hound crossed the distance between them and hugged her. "Please forgive me, Alisa. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Just don't say that again," she replied as she hugged him back. All of humanity could hate her for being friends with the Autobots. As long as they were still by her side, she would be okay.

* * *

Hound watched Alisa get ready for a date with Zac. She had traded her normal jeans for a blue ombre skirt that stopped mid-calf. And today she wore a white gossamer ruffled top instead of t-shirt. He watched her rummage through her closet for her flats.

"Where is Zac taking you tonight?"

"I don't know. He said it was a surprise." Alisa pulled out her flats and grinned with triumphant. She headed to her bathroom to get her lip gloss with Hound following. "Zac is a good guy but lately I've been feeling like we aren't meant to be together. Maybe this date will turn things around."

Hound wasn't sure if he hoped it would or not. The mech still didn't trust Zac and he knew the human didn't trust him either. "If he makes you happy then that's what matters." But if that human male hurt Alisa, Hound was sure he'd love to step on him. Multiple times.

There was a knock at the door and Alisa went to answer it. Hound deactivated his holoform. He had seen Zac enter the apartment building from the parking lot. The mech wanted to drive Alisa and Zac around so she would be safer but he knew it would only interfere with their date. He watched Zac and Alisa walked over to his car. Alisa gave him a smile and wave before she got in and he flashed his headlights in response. Zac closed her door then glared at the Jeep. Hound revved his engine but Zac merely smirked and drove away with Alisa. Unease settled on his spark. Something felt wrong. He tried to push the feeling away. He was probably just being overprotective.

* * *

"You can open your eyes now."

Alisa opened her eyes and a smile graced her face. Zac had set up a private dinner for their date. Candles were illuminating the table and soft music played from a radio. Zac walked her over to the table and pulled out her chair like a gentlman.

"This is wonderful, Zac."

"I'm glad you like it." He kissed her cheek and served her the food that he had cooked. "I know the past few days have been rough on you. I promise you that it's going to be better now."

"That's sweet, Zac, but you can't control other people."

Zac stroked her hand soothingly. Her naivety would be the death of her. He had to save her. "People aren't the problem, sweetie."

"What do you mean?" Why was Zac being so mysterious? He had been acting strange ever since he got his new job. Alisa still didn't know anything about it.

"The robots, Alisa. They are dangerous so my friends will take care of them."

Alisa tensed up and frowned. She had to warn the Autobots. "What did you do?"

"I did what was needed to protect you." Zac took hold of both her hands to comfort her. "My friends said they could be brainwashing you. Making you do horrible things."

Alisa tore her hands out of Zac's grip and stood. "The Autobots are my family. They would never hurt me." She grabbed her purse intending to call Hound. But Zac stopped her.

"You can't contact the Jeep robot. He's already been taken."

Fear gripped her heart. She knew Zac didn't like the Autobots but this was going too far. "Taken?! Where did they take Hound? Tell me!"

"Calm down, sweetie." Zac sprayed a mist into her face. He crooned, "It's going to be all right." Zac caught her as she fell unconscious. He carried her bridal style down to his car so he could take her somewhere safe.

* * *

AN: Poor Hound. I hope the 'Bots find out what happened soon. As you can guess, Alisa is officially done with Zac. He won't give up easily though. Let me know what you think. I will try to add the next chapter ASAP. Also, if you guys/ladies think I should pair Alisa with one of the 'Bots, let me know. It would be later on though. Alisa will be hurt and a little paranoid of relationships after what Zac has done to her. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So, I may have been mean to Alisa... I think this chapter is better than the first two but I will let you guys be the judge of that. By the way. The word Drift uses, imouto, is Japanese for little sister. Enjoy!

* * *

Alisa woke slouched over a table with her head on her arms. She realized that she had been handcuffed and that she was in what looked like an interrogation room. There was even a two-way mirror. A sharp pain shot up her back as she straightened herself and she wondered how long she had been unconscious. The events from earlier flashed through her mind. Anger filled her again when she thought of what Zac had done. Was he actually concerned for her safety or was he just jealous? Maybe it was both. Alisa admitted she could have spent more time with Zac but she was always able to be herself around the Autobots. Perhaps she should have broken it off with him instead of leading him on? Alisa rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She knew she shouldn't be blaming herself but it really did feel like it was all her fault. How could she make this right?

The door opened making her jump and in walked Zac with another man. This man was shorter than Alisa by a few inches but he had an intimidating aura about him. Everything about him screamed business man. His dark, brown hair was slicked back with gel and he wore a light, gray suit. Alisa completely ignored Zac and swatted his hand away when he tried to touch her shoulder. Zac looked hurt but kept his hands away. The pudgy man opened a manila folder and read through the papers. Alisa dared not say a word for fear of making her situation worse.

"Miss Peterson. You have allied yourself with our enemies. But my friend, Zac, here says that is wrong. Care to explain?"

"The Autobots aren't our enemies. They are here to protect us." Alisa gave the pudgy man her best glare. He continued to question her, unfazed. Who was this man?

"Many humans have died in their war, which they brought to Earth." He closed the folder and turned his gaze to her. "We will give you one chance to redeem yourself. Contact the other aliens and tell them to come save you."

Alisa didn't pick up her phone when it was slid over to her. "Why don't you just call them yourself?"

"They have tampered with your phone. We cannot operate it."

Alisa shook her head feeling confident now, "No. I won't do it." She wished she could cross her arms but the hand cuffs prevented it. Zac suddenly pulled her out of the chair and led her out of the room. He was still gentle with her but she still stumbled from the abruptness. The pudgy man followed them.

"Then perhaps this will persuade you."

They entered a much larger room where Zac and his friends had set up for capturing Hound. The mech was in his bipedal mode, chained to the floor and unable to move. Parts of his armor was charred all over his body. They had been torturing him. That confidence she had gain, shattered. Alisa tried to run to him but Zac stopped her. "Hound!"

Hound looked at her with dim optics and growled, "You fraggers! Let her go!" A man walked over with a black stick, stuck it into a seam on Hound's side and shocked him. Hound yelled as his body writhed.

"Stop! Please. You're hurting him!" Alisa tried to shove Zac away but he was too strong. She turned to him. "Please, Zac. I'm sorry. Just let Hound go."

Zac's friend interrupted, "Still won't contact the others? How about we bring your friend, Tessa, in? I have a team ready to grab her."

Alisa's eyes widened when he turned a television screen on and Tessa appeared on it. The young woman was walking around campus. Whenever someone walked by, she would stop them and talk to them. The pudgy man smirked. "Tessa is such a good friend, Alisa. She's trying to find you. Would you like us to help her?"

"No!" She lunged for him. No longer able to control her anger. Alisa wanted to punch him. To make his already flat nose, flatter. Hound called her name, trying to calm her, but she didn't hear him. The pudgy man smirked and pulled out a gun he had hidden beneath his jacket. He aimed it at her face.

"Think again, girl."

"Edgar! You promised not to hurt her." Zac pleaded with Edgar to put the gun away. Alisa stood rooted to her spot. She was frozen in fear. No one had ever pointed a gun at her in her whole life. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. Edgar reluctantly lowered his gun and turned his attention back to her.

"Miss Peterson. If you don't call the aliens then we will kidnap your friend and kill this one here." He gestured to Hound and a few men clambered onto the mechs chest. They pulled back the armor protecting his spark and aimed their weapons at it. Tears began to roll down Alisa's cheeks.

"Alisa." Hound's voice was full of pain and she hated herself for it. "It's going to be okay. Don't call. I promise it will be okay."

Alisa flinched when Hound was shocked again making him yell out in Cybertronian. With jerky movements, she took her phone from Edgar and dialed Drift's number. They all waited a few tense moments while her phone rang. Drift's voice came through the phone. "Imouto. Where are you?"

"D-Drift," sobbed Alisa. "They took Hound. They are going to kidnap Tessa."

Crosshairs joined the call and growled, "Where are you, Alisa?"

"I don't know. They want to hurt you. I'm so sorry." Sobs wracked her body. Edgar snatched the phone away from her.

"Hello, aliens. If you don't come save your little pet then I will kill her and your comrade. Their deaths will be painful. Here are the coordinates." He rattled off some numbers then hung up and tossed the phone to one of his men. "Dispose of it. Thank you, Miss Peterson. You have been a valuable asset."

Edgar left the room without another word. Hound, Alisa and Zac were left alone with a few guards. Alisa ran over to Hound and tried to get the chains off of him. Immediately, the guards aimed their guns at her so she stopped. Instead she moved to sit by his head and leaned against his shoulder. Zac watched with disgust written all over his face.

"You still choose them over me?"

Alisa wiped the tears off her face and sniffled. "I choose you and the Autobots. You couldn't handle me sharing my time with everyone."

"I love you, Alisa." He moved closer to her but she still refused to look at him. "They don't. They are just robots."

"If you loved me," replied Alisa as she hugged herself, "you wouldn't have done this. You would have tried to work things out."

Alisa didn't watch Zac leave. She was heartbroken too. The Zac she thought she knew was gone and now she could lose her friends too. Edgar seemed like the kind of man who would do anything. He probably wouldn't hesitate to kill the Autobots.

"Alisa." She looked into Hound's optics. They were a bit brighter now that he wasn't being tortured. "Its going to be okay."

"What if they kill you?" She wouldn't be able to live with herself if that happened.

"Drift and Crosshairs won't let that happen," rumbled Hound. He smiled a little when Alisa leaned against his cheek. "We will be back home soon."

A few hours went by with everyone in the building quiet and tense. Then there was an explosion outside making Hound and Alisa jump. They could hear yelling and gunfire. Suddenly, a guard grabbed Alisa and dragged her away. Hound struggled to get free only to be shocked again. Somehow, Alisa managed to break free and tried to get back to Hound. Unfortunately, the guard caught her easily and slapped her across the face.

"Dumb bitch." He pulled a dazed Alisa up and brought her to Edgar. The pudgy man pulled out his gun again and aimed it at Alisa's head. When Drift and Crosshairs barged in, they froze when they saw her. Drift's grip on his swords tightened when he saw Alisa tremble with fear.

"Let her go."

Edgar smirked, "Only if you surrender." He cocked the gun and Alisa closed her eyes. She waited for the inevitable. Crosshairs grumbled and dropped his weapons with Drift doing the same. Edgar grinned and lowered the gun. He opened his mouth to talk but was interrupted by the wall behind them exploding. They were thrown forward by the blast. Alisa's ears rang as she slowly got back up. The 'Bots were quick to pick up their weapons. Bumblebee, Cade and Hound appeared after the dust settled.

'Bee played a sound byte, "Whoops."

Cade kicked the guns away from Edgar and his guards. "Don't mess with our family." He aimed his gun at Edgar's face. The father had been furious when Tessa's safety had been threatened. He got angrier when he found out they had taken Hound and Alisa.

Drift was careful when he picked up a coughing Alisa. "Are you okay, imouto?" Alisa nodded and dusted herself off.

"Can we squish these humans now?" Crosshairs poked one with his gun making him flinch.

Cade shook his head, "Before we came, I contacted our government liaison. They are sending a team to clean up."

Edgar suddenly spoke. "You know what to do, men."

Everyone watched in horror as Edgar and his men started writhing on the floor and foaming at the mouth. A few seconds later, they were all dead. Cade stepped away from the bodies. "What the hell?"

"Poison," said Drift. "They'd rather die than be captured."

Alisa realized she hadn't seen Zac and looked around. "Where is Zac?"

"The fragger probably ran," growled Crosshairs as he transformed. "I'll look for him."

Alisa ran a hand through her hair feeling exhausted. "Can we go home now?"

Cade gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid not. We have to wait for whoever the government sent."

Drift rubbed Alisa's back soothingly with his thumb. "We will be outside."

Alisa and everyone waited two hours for the government officials to arrive. Drift had watched her pace, wishing he could take her home. His imouto didn't deserve to go through this. The blue mech looked up to see three unmarked black cars pull up. A total of six men got out. Two wore black suits and the rest were in hazmat suits. One walked up to Drift and Alisa.

"We will have to question everyone. I'll start with you, Miss Peterson."

Alisa looked up at Drift who nodded so she reluctantly went with the agent. He took her to the van where they had set up two chairs and a video camera in the back. For an hour she was questioned. Alisa was at her wits end. She was so stressed that a migraine had started. She rubbed her temple with a sigh.

"We do have witness protection, Miss Peterson," the agent said as he closed his little note pad. "We can get you a new life and relocate you."

"Relocate?" Alisa felt like she was going to cry again at the thought of leaving the Autobots and Yeagers. "I can't leave."

The agent raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You said your ex-boyfriend escaped. What if he came back for you?"

"The Autobots would protect me." Alisa felt a pang of guilt as she said this. What had happened today had been her fault. Would they be better off without her? The agent nodded and stood. He pulled out a business card.

"If you change your mind, call my number and I will arrange everything for you." Alisa nodded and went back to Drift. She would think about it tomorrow. Right now, she needed Tylenol and rest. She settled down in Drift's passenger seat. Drift spoke when she buckled herself in.

"Hound is doing fine. He will be sore but he will be completely healed tomorrow."

"I'm glad he is okay." Drift started the journey home. It turned out Edgar's base was half a state away so it would take them a few hours to get back home. This left Alisa to her thoughts. She thought of what the agent had said as she stared out of the window. Zac was missing. Had he gone to warn what was left of Edgar's group? Alisa hadn't meant to hurt him but she knew it would be because of her if he decided to get revenge. Witness protection was looking like her only option. Tessa, Shane, Cade and the Autobots would probably be less of a target without her around. Alisa's eyelids grew as the sun shined through the window. She briefly wondered what time it was before she fell asleep.


End file.
